Screw holder for screw drivers



Oct. 11, 1949. I c. B. SHREVE 2,484,655

SCREW HOLDER FOR SCREW DRIVERS Filed July 14, 1947 7; i CLIFFORD b.5HRENE. 6 Q OMX ATTORNEYS Patented Oct. 11, 1949 UNITED sTA Es PATENT OFFICE 2,484,655 I SCREW HOLDER FOR SCREW DRIVERS Cliflord B. Shreve, Buchanan, Mich. Application July 14, 1947, Serial No. 760,770

The present invention is concerned with improvements in a novel apparatus for holding.

screws in position while they are being driven.

It is an object and purpose of the invention to provide a screw holder and driver with which all types of screws may be used and which is particularly useful for screws of small diameters or IGiaini. (Cl. 14552) head of the screw. Meansare alsoprovided for automatically centering the screw and maintaining it and the driving means therefor in positive alinement during driving untilthe screw is firmly seated.

One desirable object and purpose of the invention is concerned with an adjustable tension means operating upon screw holding jawswhich hold the screw in alinement with its driver and with which the best conditions of tension force for holding the-screw may be provided.

Many other objects and purposes, including structure so that the operator may hold and guide. the screw holder,protected from the rotatinginner screw driving member; a 'novel means for feeding or entering the screw which is to be driven and with the gripping mechanism on the screw stationary and at rest while the screw isbeing driven; also a means for controlling the amounts that the screws may be driven, will appear and be understood from the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which,

Fig. 1 is an elevation of the screw holder and driver structure of my invention,

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary vertical section through the lower part thereof, illustrating the entrance or feeding of a screw thereto,

Fig. 3 is a section similar to Fig. 2, showing the screw as it is driven at an intermediate stage of driving,

Fig. 4 is a like, but somewhat longer vertical section showing the position of the parts at the completion of a screw driving operation, and

Fig. 5 is an under plan view of the structure shown in Fig. 1.

Like reference characters refer to like parts in the different figures of the drawing.

In the structure a tubular body member I, which may have relatively thick walls as shown,

at a distance above its lower end is slightly enlarged in diameter and exteriorly threadedfor receiving an adjustable ring nut 2. ring nut a Washer 3 is located, and below it, a relatively heavy ring 4 of resilient material, rubber or its equivalent. A second washer 5 is below the resilient ring 4 at its lower side and bears upon the outwardly extending generally horizontal upper arms of a plurality of spaced screw gripping jaws 6, which are located in radial slots in the lower end portion of the member I, and

are pivotally mounted to turn about horizontal Y axes located near the upper ends of the jaws; At their lower ends the jaws have downwardly andinwardly inclined terminal sections or fingers 6b (Fig. 4), which at their ends extend into the Y cylindrical axial opening through the member I, but are sufficiently spaced for the threaded shank of a screw to pass between them. It is evident that by adjusting the position of the ring 2, the

jaws at their lower ends may be adjusted to greater or less distances apart.

An entrance slot 1 of a generally T-form, wider at its upper end than at its lower portion, is made I inv a side of the body member I, through which screws'insuccession may be fed into the central axial'opening of the member I. A screw 8 is threadedthrough a side of the body I a distance above the slot 1, the purpose of which willbe hereafter described.

The rotatable screw driving element consist of .a shaft 9, which is rotatably and slidably mounted in the axial opening through the member I. It is reduced in diameter, as at So, at its lower end portion, leaving a head ID at the lower end of the same diameter as the upper part of the shaft. A tongue II for entrance into the slot in the head of a screw projects downwardly from the head Ill. Above the upper end of the member or body I, shaft 9 is slightly increased in diameter and threaded for two nuts I2, as shown in Fig. 4.

It is evident that on downward movement of the shaft 9, it will be stopped when the lower nut I2 comes against the upper end of the body member I. In the upward movement of the shaft 9, it is stopped and will not disconnect, as the shoulder at the upper end of the head I0 comes against the inner end of the screw 8, as shown in Fig. 2.

The upper end I3 of the shaft 9 above the nuts I2 is formed for a detachable connection with a. suitable chuck as I4 in Fig. 1 on a driving shaft or, for example, used with a brace such as used with drills or bits, or any other driving means Below the which may be adapted for use. The chuck I4 may be adapted to a power driven shaft or one which is manually operated.

In the operation, with the head In against the screw 8, as in Fig. 2, a screw I 5 is passed through the entrance slot 1 and drops by gravity substantially to the position shown in Fig. 3, where it is stopped by engagement of its head against the inner sidestof the :jaws 6.

that in Fig. 3. The tongue I! seats in the slot The. screw. driving. shaft 9 isjmov'ed from the position in Fig. 2' toward of the head of the screw. By turning the shaft 1 e 9, the screw may be driven. In such driving the screw is held by the jaws 6 at spaced apartpl'aces' around the head and is, accordingly, securely;

held against any lateral or other departure from a straight axial driving thereof.' Whentheserew has been driven as far as wanted, this beingacon trolled by the adjustablepositon of the nuts [2,

further driving will stop when the lowermost nut comes against the upper end of the'body I. "Itis of course-to be understood that the lower endof' the body I bears'against the part into'which the screw is' being driven, and normally the tongue I l will reach-substantially to the surface, against whichthe lowerend of the body I is pressed. The body 'I-maybeheld by ahand during operation-tomaintain it in proper position.

Itisfurther 'evidentthat' as the headof. the

screw is driven' past the inclined lowerfingersbb;

saidfingers'are'pushed outwardly-with an accompanying compression of the resilient" ring 4; With-"screwsbithe same head diameter; the pressureof-thelower ends ofthe jaws against thehead -will increase upon turning the adjust-i ing ringnu't Z'dbwnwa'rdly and'decreaseon' turnable feature of the invention is that the driving tongue l0 never comes against the surface of the work into which the screw is being driven. There is no slipping off the head of the screw, as with the usual screw driver, with a resultant marring of the surface of the part into which the screw is being driven.

The invention is defined in the appended claimstandsisto be considered comprehensive of all forms ofkstructure coming within their scope.

I claim:

A screw driving device comprising, a cylindrical body having a central passage therethrough,

ashaft havingascrewdriver bit on one end and rotamablyg and longitudinally movable in said body, a plurality of circumferentially spaced lon- -'-gitudinallyextending slots in one end of the body ing it in theopposite direction. This'is, there'- fore, within the control of'theoperator, who may'[ adjust the-jaws-to obtain the best"'con'ditions.""

So 'far as'nuts :2 are concerned, the lowerone' acts as a 'stopand-the other locks it against" undesired change of position.

It is to be noted that the inwardly extending portions {Sb-of the jaws firmly grip the body portion of the-screw but the head of the-screwis' loosely guided-betwe'en the jaws 6 and'in'the bore" This detail has been foundin' practice to be-a valuable contribution of the body member 4.

to thesuccessful operation of the device.

useful.- Screws "which areotherwise difficult to handle, thoseof shortlength and small diameter,

are'very readily handled'and driven. One'va'm:

The structure has proved very practical andfil) and-communicating with said passage, a plurality of jaws pivotally mounted intermediate their ends on-the body in saidslots. andhaving ends movable: into said centralipassage through the slots inthejsame plane transverse to the axis of the passage, their other ends extending outwardly from'their, pivotsin the same plane transverse'to the axis of'the passage,v a ring screw threadedfonto the body adjacent said jaws and longitudinally adjustable u'pon the body, and a rubberring' surrounding said body and interposed" between said iscrewthreaded ring and'the outwardly'extendingends of the jaws, the inner end'softhe jaws'serving'ltogrip a screw between them.

) CLIFFORD BL SHRE-VE. l REFERENCES? orren- The-following references are of record in the file of this-patent; r

STATES PATENTS 

